Since its inception four years ago, the U.S. Space Force has faced congressional scrutiny and received numerous directives to transform the military’s space capabilities at warp speed.
Lawmakers have pointed to delays and cost overruns plaguing legacy space programs and have called on Space Force leaders to take swift action to deliver the next generation of satellites, weapon systems and infrastructure seen as vital to the projection of unrivaled space dominance.
In 2021, the Space Force’s first chief of space operations, the since-retired Gen. Jay Raymond, was asked at a National Press Club event what kept him up at night. “Our ability to go fast” was his answer. The previous spring, in a speech to Air Force Academy graduates about to be commissioned into the Space Force, Raymond urged them to “build the Space Force as the first digital service, and lay the foundation of a service that is innovative and can go fast.” With speed in mind, the service established the Space Systems Command in 2021 to accelerate procurement and delivery of next-generation technologies.
Gen. Chance Saltzman assumed command of the Space Force a year ago and has since laid out an ambitious plan to boost U.S. capabilities for strategic competition against China and Russia. But as he begins his second year at the helm, Saltzman also wants to balance expectations with a healthy dose of reality.
“I do feel a sense of urgency, and I feel like we have a plan,” Saltzman said Nov. 15 at a defense industry event hosted by the Atlantic Council.
But Congress can’t expect the Space Force to mimic the pace of the private sector, Saltzman said, noting that the government machinery shifts slowly by design, not by fault.
“I’ve been in the Pentagon long enough to know this,” he said. “You think, ‘Hey,…
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